After enjoying resounding success with its one-size bumGenius pocket diaper and Flip hybrid system, Cotton Babies introduced the bumGenius Freetime All-in-One diaper.
Here are the basic features of the Freetime:
- 100% waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminate) exterior shell
- Sewn-in layer of microfiber
- Two suedecloth topped microfiber soaker pads (80% poly and 20% nylon), which are sewn at each end of the diaper
- Signature stretchy poly knit tabs at the waist
- Adjusts to fit from 8 to 35 pounds via the rise snaps
On the outside, it looks a lot like the bumGenius 5.0 pocket.
On the inside, the construction is very unique. There’s an inner core of suede-topped microfiber and then two partially attached pads (one is attached at front and one at the back). It’s designed this way so the diaper not only dries more quickly, but the inserts can be folded up shorter for a smaller baby.
If you lift up the pads, you can see they are open inside, which also further helps to cut down on drying time.
Here’s what the pads look like folded under to shorten them and fit in the diaper better when you’ve got the rise snapped up for a small infant.
You can also fold the front insert in half to put more absorbency there for a boy.
Performance: I love how trim this diaper is, thanks to the shorter inserts inside. In fact, it’s one of the trimmest AIO diapers we own. Yet Ingrid can easily wear it through a long nap. It’s roomy enough to add absorbency for night time. I usually just lay an insert right on top, instead of trying to position it underneath the soaker pads. We haven’t tried the Freetime overnight, but have had zero leaks during day time use.
Care: It dries fast in the dryer; if you line dry as bumGenius recommends, it takes longer but is much better compared to other AIO diapers. This is a tricky diaper to spray or dunk, because of the two flaps that hang down. Poo can sometimes get in three different places (on the two pads and on the inner core. This is one of the main drawbacks I have observed with the diaper. I like the concept behind the soakers, but cleaning them isn’t always easy. Thankfully, though, my sister-in-law and I both found that the fabric does not hold onto stains.
Value: The Freetime costs $19.95, which is in the medium price range, however there are other synthetic AIO diapers for less. You do get one of the best warranties in the business – 1 year, covering all components.
You can purchase the bumGenius Freetime with FREE shipping at:
And at:
Fit: Overall, the Freetime is a really trim and cute diaper. My SIL and I both got a good fit on our little ones, at different ages and different body types. I do wish the wing tabs were a bit longer. If you get hook and loop there’s a little more give, but I don’t care for bumGenius hook and loop.
The Freetime runs a bit smaller compared to the bumGenius 5.0 (pocket diaper). You can see the difference in size overall when they are placed side by side. And inside they are different at the back and front since the Freetime has a waterproof strip of PUL fabric.
My nephew, Roderick, is 7 months, 22 pounds and pretty chunky. He can wear the Freetime comfortably with the rise snapped up once, at the second-to-largest setting, so it has some room to grow there. The waist and leg snaps are at the second-to-last setting, which is great since my sister-in-law has found that he has to wear most “one size” diapers at the very last setting – which doesn’t leave him any room to grow and he’s not even a year old.
What I also liked about the diaper was that it washed and dried very well – no staining, and it actually air dried in the same amount of time as my microfiber BB inserts.
Interestingly, my Ingrid, although a toddler of 23 months, also wears the diaper at the same rise setting. But she’s small for her age and her legs are thinner. She’s modeling an additional limited edition print, the patriotic “Mary Pickersgill.”
Have you tried the bumGenius Freetime diaper yet? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Giveaway: Enter to win TWO bumGenius Freetime diapers on my Facebook page. The giveaway ends Tuesday, July 5th and is open to US and Canadian residents. GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Jocelyn says
These look great! I love all the different options for the soakers
kayla sheehan says
This looks like a great diaper! Thank you for doing such a thorough review on it!
Audrey G says
I love that you showed off some of the awesome BG prints in this review. We love Freetimes, but pockets are what work best for us. 🙂
Bri says
Great pictures. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica says
Happy 4th!!
Christina says
Love the prints, so cute. Thanks for the detailed review.
Elishia says
I love how Bumgenius designed this diaper so it’s easy to dry! Did you find it was prone to compression leaks?
Anne says
Haven’t had any problems with compression leaks! The PUL strip up front helps, especially at nap time. ~Anne
Holly Hollister says
I love my freetimes for night & the prints are the cutest!
Jessica says
We love Freetimes. We use them now with our 11 month old and even used them as a nighttime option before her big sister potty trained. I found that layering a hemp or bamboo insert under the microfiber flaps was enough to contain a whole night’s worth of toddler pee.
Eulalia Thomas says
Love this review! It is honest and I love the pictures of the children modeling the freetimes
Katelyn Saunders says
Wow! Those prints are BEAUTIFUL! Maybe I should jump on the bumGenius train? 🙂
Bri says
It does sound like a pain to wash poo out! But <3 those prints!!!
Erica P. says
Clever! I never thought about adjusting the insert on this style of AIO to better fit smaller/ larger children! I always just folded it and tossed it on!
Amanda says
I love these diapers I add a thirstiest hemp insert and use them as my nighttime diapering solution.
Lanesa hinds says
I love the look and tnat you dont have the put tbe liners into the diapers. Would definitely like to try this diaper on my 3wk old.
Nancy Partin says
I’d like to try this diaper with my little girl.
Ashley Kelley says
Love the sewn in soakers.
Molly says
Thanks for this review. You make a lot of good points and I liked the detailed pictures.
Isabel Whited says
I really like the free time diaper. I like that I can customize the fit for my little boy, the short drying time and the stretchy bumgenius tabs.
Lynn G says
Love these for daycare!
Lucy Mills says
These look like they fit great and wash easily! I’d love to try one!
Lacrimioara Tirsina says
I love the freetime diaper cause it fits my toddler and my newborn just perfect and it’s so trim an both of them.
Shannon says
I’ve had much the same experience with the freetime diaper! Fits trim even on my 2.5 month old baby (compared to other one size diapers), washes well and dries quickly… Plus it’s super easy to use! Hubby loves it 😉
Deanna Lane says
This diaper looks SO trim!! Awesome 🙂
Jaimie Kurgas says
I’ve always read good things about bum genius. I can def see how poo would be an issue. Will still give it a try when baby gets here.
Marie L says
I have the albert print like this, love it!
Jennifer Miller says
I love my Freetimes! They are my favorite AIO for how fast they dry and how trim they are.
Mal Duensing says
They look a little bulky but I still want to try them!
Erika McClain says
Sounds like a great diaper! It’s on my bucket list of diapers to try!
Vie Turner says
I did not know about the folding lines and I have been using these for two years! I love how trim these diapers are.
Jessie Hughes says
We love Freetimes! Used them overnight and never had a leak. I line dry all my diapers, and they do take a little longer maybe, but i typically leave all my diapers on the line for several hours to sun, so it doesn’t make a difference
Anne says
I’ll have to try overnight and update my review. Thanks for the feedback, Jessie!
Becka Roy says
I really want to try these now.I’m usually a die-hard pocket user
Sarah Wright says
I love the prints in this review! I’m considering trying a Freetime, mostly for my husband who hates having to do anything with a diaper except putting it on and taking it off!
Caitlin says
Very thorough! You definitely broke down the diaper and made it so simple I could even understand it (only been cloth diapering for 1 month).
Lindsay Nuttall says
The difficulty of cleaning these is the only reason we haven’t tried these, but I love those cute prints.
Karla Coriano says
Great review & pictures.
josh dillard says
so much detail and with it being trim makes it sound like it wont be as much a fluff butt for putting on pants over top, thanks for taking the time
Kat Harper says
I love how many different folding options you have with this soaker. They also look so trim on baby. Great review!
Gary Lindsay says
Love it
Thanks for the review you said exactly how I would have.
Abagail kuske says
Love the Freetime and now I absolutely need that Mary Pickersgill print!!
Dandi D says
I haven’t tried the Freetime yet, but I love the 4.0 and the Freetime has been on my wish list for such a long time!
Cindy says
I love that the soakers are adjustable and they allow for a faster dry time! I also need something trim for my little! I may have to give this diaper a try!
wendy browne says
Thanks for the thorough review. I’m a pocket user but these look interesting.
Jasmine Multani says
Wow I didnt know about these diapers amd they can fit from 8-35 lbs which means bith my toddler and infant. Great design and very economical. Will try for sure
Laura Merrill says
Tried the freetime and had the same issues with cleaning all the crevices. Any suggestions on how to make that easier?
Anne says
If you pinch the diaper at both ends and let the soakers hang down, that’s a pretty good position for dunking or spraying it out, although it’s definitely not easy when you have a big mess. Someone suggested liners, which might help. I don’t use the flushable liners any more because we have a rural septic system. ~Anne
Janis Montgomery says
This was a great review. I have been using the free time diaper for a year and a half and had no idea why the inserts could be folded down hahaha. I do agree with you on the cleaning them they aren’t my favorite to clean, the pockets are much easier! But I like that I can add an insert for night time and that the three layers is so absorbent! These are the only diapers I have been buying as we get ready to expand our family!
Christine DeLillo says
I would love to try one of these for my kiddo. Thank you for the review!
stephen sheehan says
Thats awesome that they include a one year warranty
Winny Havok says
I would love to try the freetimes. Thu look so comfy and easy to use. Plus I love the 4.0s I have. The fit is amazing
Gloria Sanchez says
I’m interested to try they’re diaper but kinda turned off by the difficulty listed for spraying lol. It’s terrible when poop finda more places to hide!
Brittany says
Perfect review of the Freetimes! The only downside to this diaper is the cleaning, which you mentioned. And I love that you mentioned Sweetbottoms Baby. That’s my favorite place to order from❤️. Bumgenius diapers are a bit pricey, but the quality and re-sale value make it worth it. I’ve had their diapers for over a year and they are still in great shape!!
Anne says
Brittany, I appreciate you sharing feedback about how long they’ve lasted. That’s wonderful, especially if someone was hoping to use for another child. ~Anne
Sarah says
We love our Freetimes! Highly recommend!
Jenny A says
These look nice and trim!
Alanna B says
I got a Freetime as a baby shower gift and have finally been able to use it on my baby. Hands down, my new favorite diaper. It dries much quicker that any AIO and the fit is snug. Typically, I like diapers with double gussets for better protection around the legs…but there is no gaping around the legs with this diaper.
Rebecca Crossman says
Free times are our all time favorite and I love these prints/colors!
Sarah Hayes says
I love free times. the fit on Roderick looks so so trim. thats one of my favorite things about this style.
Vanessa S. says
I absolutely love my Freetimes! They make up most of my stash!
Vanessa Marry says
Thanks for the review! They look easy to use.
TheDeanoMomma says
I am soooo ready to try one of these out! And those prints!
Kari Barone says
I think that the Free time would quickly become a favorite diaper bag diaper due to its trimness. It would be wonderful for younger babies when changes are so frequent.A Free time will be on my to try list if we are blessed with another baby.
Brittany Parzych says
I love my freetimes, but I agree it takes some prep work to make them easiwe to spray. I like to put the back flap on top, so whenvious I clip it into my spray pal and spray, the flaps stay where they are rather than flopping into the toilet.
Anne says
Brittany, thanks for sharing your cleaning tip! ~Anne
Lindsey Spears says
BG freetimes are my favorite AIOs! These make up the majority of my stash and my go to for daytime wear!!
Sarah R says
We love our freetimes!! They are so simple and can adsorb a ton!!
Rachelle Hoehn says
I love the freetime! We use it all of the time. It is crazy absorbent! We love the math nerd prints as well.
yodah63 says
I used these on my friend’s children. They were great and I LOVE the patterns!
Ashley gibb says
I’ve always used a liner when I but this one on to avoid the sprayer challenge.
Anne says
That’s a great recommendation!
Danielle H says
We love using Freetimes for out and about since we only have to carry the one piece it makes it much easier on the diaper bag load!
Wendy says
I love that these are constructed in a way that allows quicker dry time. Also easy to adjust liner for smaller infant and roomy enough to add an additional layer if needed.
Jessica Lodge says
Now that I have a girl I find that the AIO’s that I currently have from my boys are sometimes too bulky for her clothes. I like the trimness of this, perhaps it will work better for her.. Thank you for the side by side comparison, that was very helpful.
Sandra Caballero says
What a great review on the FreeTime diaper for a person like myself to who is new to cloth diaper.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
I think the 5.0 and the Freetime look very close in size. I didn’t realize it came with a 1 year warranty! That is awesome!
Anel says
I have not tried BG diapers, but it looks like a great diaper. I like the pictures of the diapers from different angles; very helpful!
Laura T. says
Thanks for a detailed review!
Kristin Faircloth says
Thanks for such a great review. These look lovely.
Kimberly B says
We love the Freetimes best of the BG diapers we have tried. I like how easy it is to customize and that it almost never leaks if the fit is adjusted correctly.
Bethany S. says
I LOVE our Freetime diapers – they are are so easy to put on and they last a long time in terms of absorbency! Great review!
Kruthiga Senthil says
Thanks for the review and the giveaway! Would love to try this
Esther says
I love the idea of AIOs but I dread the dry time. This looks like a great system.
Kelly Hennebaul says
What a great review ! I love my free times and am slowly trying to switch from 4.0 to fully freetimes!!
Elizabeth Slagter says
I like where you explained you add another insert on top for naps. I would struggle to try to slide it under!
Jess Stone says
These look amazing! I can’t imagine the things I could do besides stuffing diapers😍
Lucinda says
I have five of these
Michelle Holmstrom says
I love the prints! Haven’t really used AIOs due to price. Husband loves how easy they go on though, with nothing to stuff or go missing.
couryney south says
I have not tried these yet! Though I have heard and read about them.. I think they would be good for my heavy wetter especially with and insert on the top layed in.. But yes as you said I could only imagine how crazy it would be to spray this diaper out ! Would have to invest in the diaper pal sprayer so I could clip it on and then spray it.. Probably still be messy lol. eww I love cloth but hate that part!!
Kaitlyn Moran says
I only have one Freetime but I love it! It is trim fitting and my LO could easily go a few hours in it if needed. Great review!
Austin Baroudi says
Sounds like a great diaper! I haven’t used cloth diapers before but when I do this would be my first choice! Thanks for sharing!
Robin says
I love all the photos that you included in your review. I feel most people tend to leave out photos in the reviews which is a shame because they are typically very helpful.
Laura O says
I love that purple print!!
Kelly Dougherty says
That diaper looks amazing! So much more trim then my pockets I am currently using!
Bethany Bolbach says
All good info!
MariClaire Eastabrooks says
I love that 1 year warranty, especially since I have no idea how different diapers will do with my baby (my first, due in July)! Thanks for adding the info about which retailers sell it with no extra shipping!
MariClaire Eastabrooks says
Love that 1 year warranty, especially since I have no idea how different diapers will do with my baby, (my first, due in August)! Thanks for the info about which retailers sell it with no extra shipping too!
Katy Baird says
I like the idea of this diaper, but I’m afraid to buy anything that’s hard to spray, so I’ve avoided this one. I may have to give it a shot, though!!
Nicole says
Love my Freetimes. Wish I had more!
davi mueller says
Nice review. Would love to try these.
Sarah Jane says
I still like my prefolds/flats with covers, but more and more, I LOVE the AIOs. So simple, especially for a homeschooling mom.
jilliann m says
I love freetimes! They are the first diaper I used and I still like them. AIOs are just so easy! It would be cool if they made a natural version.
Rachel says
These look great! I was a bit thrown off by Jules being one of the prints you showed! ha!
cassandra m says
I love the designs and that they accommodate up to 35 lbs!
Amanda Cook says
Thanks for the great review! We have only tried elementals but would love to try a freetime!
Lara says
First off, I am absolutely in love with be with the prints (turquoise and California orange? AWESOME). I personally prefer a puffier diaper, I.e. The 5.0, but this one seems to have lots of features making it worth a spot in your stash
Dawne Forrester says
It never occurred to me that you could add an additional soaker for night time. I wonder if these would work for my heavy wetter ? 😀
Heather Heslep Morrissey says
Haven’t tried them yet but my SIL accidentally got some for my niece and loves them. So I’d love to try!
Jessica Pluim says
Thanks for the review!
Alley Marie Harding says
Great review! I would not mind trying them ! (:
Sarah Collier says
I’ve been eyeing BG Freetimes for a while. I’d love to try them!
Laurie says
Would love to win!